


Bounty Hunter: Summer's Storm

by Duke_The_Bounty_Hunter



Series: The Duke and Catherine Chronicles [4]
Category: Original Work, The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-25 00:11:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17110748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duke_The_Bounty_Hunter/pseuds/Duke_The_Bounty_Hunter
Summary: Everyone going on a quest and Ava gets reunited with Cat and Duke.





	Bounty Hunter: Summer's Storm

This was the story of Catherine and Duke, two people who were star-crossed lovers, now reunited in Catherine’s hospital room.

It happened one morning; Catherine woke up, feeling strange.  Flinging off the bedclothes, she went to the bathroom and washed her face. She put a hand on her stomach, which was showing.

Wait a minute . . .

She was pregnant?

Catherine was tense. How can she tell Duke? More importantly, how would he react to the news?

When she told Duke, he took it well. She saw his expression. It was a brief smile (he was not known for being a smiler). There was also worry that Duke will lose his beloved Catherine, but the princess reassured him that it wasn’t like in years past, where death in childbirth was common.

“Don’t worry, beloved Duke.” Catherine kissed Duke’s forehead. “You won’t lose me. Besides, medicines have improved since then.”

They embraced each other warmly.

Months later, Catherine gave birth to her daughter Ava. She made sure that her newborn was cared for. She and Duke did everything in their power to make sure their daughter was protected from harm. However, that all changed.

One night, whilst everyone was sleeping, Cynda the evil sorceress who banished Catherine to get Duke, broke into the nursery and kidnapped baby Ava.

Duke and Catherine were heartbroken when they went into the nursery, to find that Ava had been kidnapped. Many sad and lonely years passed for Duke and Catherine, but with each day, they had faith to keep looking, hope that Ava would come back safely.

***

Ava, now sixteen, was thinking of how to get away from Cynda. She planned how to whilst tackling chores such as the hovering, washing dishes, ironing all the worries away.

Cynda was none too happy.

“You wretched girl!” she screamed. “When your heartless parents abandoned you as a baby, anyone else would’ve killed you. Is this the thanks I get for taking you in and raising you as my own?”

“No,” Ava said.

That night, when Cynda was asleep, Ava climbed out the window, lost her footing and fell. An elderly woman, who lived down the road and happened to be passing by, saw Ava’s unconscious body and called for the police, but by the time they arrived, Ava was not there.

Ava journeyed to the local pub, Hen and Fox, found a table with a buffet seat and sat.

Minutes later, the door burst opened and a group of gangsters, like from the noir films, strode in. Everyone – except Ava and a man sitting at the bar – looked up at them. They sensed trouble brewing.

Unfortunately, one of the members picked a fight with the man at the bar and paid the price. He was tossed on the floor. When another member got Ava, she tossed him on the floor in front of her.

Carladonna and Firek had seen the brawl at Hen and Fox through the UFO camera that had hovered unseen.

“Do you think she knows who her parents are?” Carladonna asked.

“No,” was Firek’s reply.

“I remember Catherine telling me years ago that she was expecting a baby. I told her that I was happy for her and Duke, but then an old ‘friend’ popped back into their lives. Cynda.”

“Wasn’t she jealous of Catherine?” Firek asked.

“Yes, she was, because Duke was the sort of guy Cynda was looking for. However, Duke only had eyes for Catherine so the evil woman banished her rival. Luckily in the end, Catherine and Duke were reunited.”

“The parents of this girl are Duke and Catherine?”

“Yes, they are. Ever since Ava was taken from them, they had been searching. Duke vowed to find those responsible, the same way he did with the people who had banished Catherine i.e. Cynda. We have to help Ava and Catherine and Duke reunite.”

“We will,” Firek promised. “We could ask a friend about this situation.”      “Who do you suggest we ask?”

“Gwen.”

“Alright. We’ll ask Gwen for help.”

***

Meanwhile, back at Hen and Fox, after seeing what she had done, Ava fled.

She couldn’t physically lift a grown up, so where did she get the super strength?

She went in search of a place where she could hide and not worry about people gawking. Coming across a fortress, Ava went inside.

There was a corridor leading to different doors. Ava was about to go in one of the rooms, but someone was with her. She turned around. In the doorway was a man, his face shrouded in shadow.

Ava was about to leave, when something grabbed her right wrist, preventing her from escaping. She saw it was the man from the door.

“What’s your hurry?” the man asked.

“Hurry?” Ava queried. She shook her head. “No, no. I’m not in a hurry for anything, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.” She tried to break free, but could not.

“You’re Duke’s daughter, aren’t you?”

“Duke?” the teenager asked.

“Duke’s a good friend.”

“Are you his friend?”

“Yes.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s alive.” The man handed a note. “Here’s the information you need.” He left.

After the fortress, Ava came across a boy of sixteen with grey eyes and black hair, in the park. “Perhaps you can help me.”

“What help do you need?” the boy asked.

“It might sound a little strange.”

“Go ahead.”

Ava took a deep breath. “‘You’ll see them. Three who can fly. Twelve leopards. Seek out the sister trio.’ Any ideas who they could be?”

“If Carol was here, she’s my sister; she would say to ask the Guardians. I’m Tom.”

“Ava.” Ava got out a packet of Maryland cookies and offered Tom one. He took one. “The Guardians? Who are they?”

“The Guardians,” said Tom, “are women dedicated to protecting the Holloway. There are thirty six of them on an island.”

“Why do they need that many?”

“The Holloway is mighty and the Guardians use their powers to ensure that it is protected to stop it falling it into the wrong hands.”

“Ok.”

“Maybe we could ask them, if they know the riddle.”

“Do you think they could help me with what really happened to my parents? Cynda told me they were heartless and abandoned me.”

“I’m sure they will.”

The two teenagers went on their way to the Guardian’s sanctuary.

Ava and Tom continued down the path, where they came across a woman who wore nothing and had a snake wrapped around her. Her hair was auburn.

“Hi,” Tom said to the woman. “We need to know the meaning of this riddle.” He recited the riddle.

The woman nodded. “The three referred to in the riddle are Igor, Cinder and Darla.”

“Igor, Cinder and Darla?” Ava repeated. “Who are they?”

“Cinder and Darla are dragons,” the woman said. “Igor is a bat. All three can fly, as they have wings.” She approached the two teens. “Don’t fear your powers. Embrace them. You want to go to the Guardian’s sanctuary? So you shall. You should know that your parents are searching. They didn’t abandon you.”

“They didn’t?” The corners of Ava’s mouth turned upwards. “I had the feeling that they didn’t – and wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“Thanks, um –” Tom didn't ask for the woman's name.

“Lilith.”

When Tom and Ava were gone, Lilith changed form into the man who Ava met at the fortress and left.

Ava and Tom nodded before they disappeared.

“Where are we?” Ava asked.

Tom checked his surroundings. “From the looks of it, we’re in a warehouse.”

“You’re ok,” said a voice.

Tom and Ava turned around at the same time.

A woman with black hair was standing in the doorway. She wore a light blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans and Clarks Bootleg flat pumps.

“Yeah, we’re ok,” Tom said. “What do you want?”

“We want to help you,” said a voice. A man’s voice.

“How exactly?” Ava asked.

“Sorry,” apologised the woman. She walked towards them. “We didn’t introduce ourselves. I’m Carladonna and this is Firek.”

Another woman with red hair appeared. “And I’m Gwen.”

“How will you help us?” Ava asked.

“We’ll help you stop Cynda so you can see Duke and Cat,” said Gwen.

“Good idea,” said Tom. “We’re gonna need your help.”

“Yeah,” said Ava.

Other girls came. Their names were Eliza, Adele, Mariana and Georgiana. They had red hair, like Gwen.

“Are you all related?” Tom asked.

The woman in the blue dress, Mariana, took a step forward. “We’re Gwen’s descendants.”

Ava nodded. “Ok. Does anyone know who the man at the bar of Hen and Fox was?”

“He’s someone who acts as police for an organisation.”

“What organisation?”

“ERG. Everyone’s Registered Group,” Adele said.

“We need your help,” Tom implored. He told everyone the riddle.

“Now, you need to find the sister trio,” Carladonna said when Tom had finished.

“How?”

“The Guardians will tell you,” Georgiana said. She resembled Eliza.

“When you see Athena, Ophelia and Grace, you’ll be surprised.” Mariana regarded Tom and Ava with a smile. “All of us, everyone who is here, are confident that you will solve the riddle.”

“Thanks,” Tom said.

“Here’s the map.” Carladonna gave it to him. “Best of luck.”

Ten minutes later, the two teenagers left the warehouse and arrived at an island by boat.

Out of nowhere, six women appeared. The first three were unusual. They had blue, purple and green skin. Not typical complexion.

“Are you the Guardians?” Ava asked.

“Yes,” the blue woman said.

“Cool! I’m Ava and this is Tom.”

“Pleased to meet you both. I’m Athena.” She gestured to the others. “This is Ophelia, Grace, Fiona, Bronwyn and Chantelle.”

That evening, after dinner of steak and salad, they watched a film. It was _The Avengers_.

“Where’s your bathroom?” Ava asked.

“Down the hall,” Athena said.

“Thanks.” Ava headed in the direction that Athena told her. She turned on the tap and washed her face. After she had finished, Ava turned off the tap. She turned around and saw someone. It was the man from the fortress.

“What happened?” the man asked.

Ava told him.

“Now you have to find three women who are related.”

“Yes. That is the idea. Where are they?”

“Is the answer to your question worth dying for?” the man asked. “Is that what you want?”

“Where are they?”

“They’re in a cave behind a waterfall. Many men became powerless.”

“How?”

“Lilith. They say she could take the form of either a man or a woman. Men fear because she knows the power of her sexuality and that her sexuality has power over men. Women, who are like the submissive Eve, also fear her because of the power she holds.”

“Ok.”

The next morning, after breakfast, Tom and Ava set off to see Lilith. She had her two sisters with her, Kayfra and Andrea. Ava saw, like the man told her, men being powerless.

“Your riddle has been completed,” Kayfra said.

“Thank goodness for that.” Ava sighed in relief.

Lilith petted her snake. “You will reunite with your parents. There are others like you, Ava.”

“Really?” Tom asked. “Others like Ava?”

“Yes. They are known as demialiens. The other half depends on the parent.”

“Know any examples?”

“Do you know Chris Williams?”

“He’s Jasmine’s nephew and cousin to Jack and Ellie. Is he one?”

Kayfra nodded. “Yes. His mother, Natalie, Jasmine’s sister, had been taken at eleven in 1995.”

“There is danger ahead.”

“What kind of danger?” Tom asked.

“Terrible danger. Cynda is after you, Ava, because you escaped.”

“Oh, I agree,” said a voice.

Everyone turned around. Cynda was leaning in the doorway. Without warning, she pounced on Ava and spun her around, holding her in a headlock.

“Ava!” Tom yelled.

“Stop or she dies,” Cynda threatened.

_What do we do?_ Tom asked telepathically.

_Give Cynda what she wants so she lets Ava go,_ Lilith answered.

“What do you want?” Adea asked.

“A girl who’s with you,” said Cynda. “You’ll know what I’m talking about.”

Kayfra and Lilith glanced at each other. They, along with Andrea, knew that Cynda was referring to the five-year-old clone from the Emily Series. What would Cynda want with a child?

A girl in a pink jacket, trainers and jeans went up to Lilith. Lilith looked at the child and nodded. The five year old went up to Cynda and the captive Ava.

“Step close. Right up close,” Cynda said to the five year old.

The girl obeyed, but then attacked to make Cynda release her.

“Kids.” With a disdainful look, Cynda grabbed Ava by the wrist. “Do you know how valuable these girls are to me? Ava is priceless because she has powers that the rest of us dream of having.” She pointed to the girl. “That girl could lead me to her location and she and her sisters will be done for.” She gave an evil laugh before she hurled a lightning bolt at Lilith, like how Zeus/Jupiter did from mythology did but Lilith used sidestep.

“Do what you have to do,” Andrea said. “Be reunited with Duke and Catherine.”

“What about that girl?” Ava asked, looking around.

“You’ll see her again. Her and her sisters.”  

“Let’s go and find Duke.” Tom took Ava’s hand and they left.

Ava went to Hen and Fox, the place where she met the man at the bar and found two people waiting for her. She approached.

The woman gasped. “Ava!”

“Hey, Mum,” Ava said.

“Oh!” Catherine and Ava hugged. “It’s good to see you.”

The man, Duke, got up as well.

“I’m back. Cynda has been beaten. I have met so many helpful people. I knew you were my parents.”

“You discovered your gifts?” Catherine asked.

“Yeah. After I climbed out a window, I lost my footing and fell. Later I brushed it off. I also discovered that I had super strength.”

“Interesting.” Catherine smiled. “Let’s go home.”

The three of them, Ava, Catherine and Duke exited the pub.

Unknown to the three, the man who looked identical to Duke had been watching. He followed.


End file.
